0000000000131948
AUTHOR
Dominique Castex
‘Not All That Is White Is Lime’-White Substances from Archaeological Burial Contexts: Analyses and Interpretations
Archaeological burial contexts may include a variety of white substances, but few analyses have been published. This study reports on the physico‐chemical characterization of such residues from seven archaeological sites. It is often assumed that white materials from burial contexts are lime. Our findings demonstrate that they can be gypsum, calcite (chalk), aragonite, brushite, degraded metal, natural (gum) resins or synthetic polymer–based products. These may be present as the result of diagenetic processes, funerary practices or modern contamination. This paper provides an analytical approach for the holistic investigation of white materials encountered in burial contexts.
Les crânes déformés de Saint-Etienne (Beaune, Côte d'Or, Ve-VIe siècles). Données archéologiques et anthropologiques
The sector of the Saint-Étienne necropolis (Beaune), reveals the existence of two clearly separated zones which are characterized by different funeral and cultural practices: tomb architecture, archaeological material and artificially deformed crania. This seems to provide evidence of two distinct groups. A preliminary morpho-metrical study of four skulls and the examination of several CT scans of three of them, allow us to confirm the presence of artificial antero-posterior cranial deformations.